Industry governance authority, eCommerce and Online Gambling Regulation and Assurance (eCOGRA), has become the first such organisation to be used by government departments wishing to verify the fairness and integrity of online gaming sites and their software.

eCOGRA certification has had its gold standard status endorsed by the minister for gambling in Gibraltar. Home of many offshore gaming sites, officials in Gibraltar must ensure that no ‘cowboy’ outfits operate from their jurisdiction, and that the Gambling Act 2005 is complied with. Each site must undergo eCOGRA’s Total Gaming Transaction Review Testing in order to verify that this is the case.

The Review is a continuous monitoring tool which analyses payout percentages and certifies the fairness of randomly generated cards or numbers. eCOGRA itself undertakes external audit procedures to ensure fairness at every level, and it is this degree of diligence that has won them the respect of the industry: over 130 sites use eCOGRA certification and more regulating bodies have come to expect it.

Having signed up for the intensive ongoing analysis, sites can then display a “Safe and Fair Safe” seal. eCOGRA CEO Andrew Beveridge said: “We are delighted that a regulator of the calibre of the GRA has accepted this advanced process after intensive study.”